A convicted sex offender found with more than 300,000 indecent images has been jailed, despite a court hearing about his “depressing” diagnosis from doctors treating him for serious illness.

Roger Haynes, 71, from Church Lane, Gorleston, who is on the sex offender's register, was found with the huge collection of indecent images and videos of children when police checked on him in 2017, Norwich Crown Court heard.

Martin Ivory, prosecuting, said that while under investigation for these matters he had then breached his sexual harm prevention order by leaving the county in August, last year, to go on a 10-day holiday in Bangkok, in Thailand.

Mr Ivory said that he was required under the order to tell police if he was leaving the UK but said: "He failed to tell the police and was out of their jurisdiction."

The court heard Haynes, who had previous convictions for possessing indecent images and breaching his order, had since been diagnosed with serious illness and was now receiving only palliative care for his condition.

Haynes admitted downloading indecent images, possession of indecent images and failing to comply with the sex offender's register and was jailed for 50 months.

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Judge Maureen Bacon, who was shown reports from the hospital treating Haynes, described it as a "depressing" diagnosis and accepted he was now only receiving palliative care.

She told him: "This court can make no judgement about your health."

She said she had to impose a jail sentence for such "serious" matters and said: "I accept your health may mean that this sentence is frustrated." She said his medical notes would go with him to prison where he would still undergo any treatment required.

Jonathan Goodman, for Haynes, said that he had undergone a scan and said he was now receiving no further treatment other than medicine for pain relief.

In the circumstances he asked whether there could be an alternative sentence to immediate custody given Haynes diagnosis.

He added: "Clearly a terminal illness is not a get out of jail card. He accepts that and the prison service would be able to manage his care."

He said that there had been no further offending.

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